Machine for cutting soap



' April 21, 1942. J. p. CHANEY MACHINE FOR CUTTINGSOAP 4 Sheet s-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 4, 1939 Inventor JAMES D. CHANEY) Aiiorneys April 21, 1942.JD. CH ANEY MACHINE FOR CUTTING SOAP 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1939lnvenfbr A iiomeys April 21,1942. .1. D. CHANEY' 2,280,373

MACHINE FOR comma SOAP Filed Nov; 4. 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet a I InventorJAMES D. CHANEY,

A iiorneys April 21', J. 0. CHANEY v 2,280,373

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SOAP Filed Nov 4, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 InventorJAMEs D. CHANEY,

A ftorne ys Patented Apr. 21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE A 1 Thepresent invention relates to apparatus for cutting a continuously movingbody of material,

and particularly to a machine; for cutting soap in the course of soapmanufacture.

The'primary object of the invention istoreduce the amount Tof h andlingand labor cost in the cutting of bars of soap into blanks for formingintocakes, and to greatly eliminate or reduce the waste ordinarilyincident thereto.

the following description taken in connection with the drawingawherein apreferred embodiment of the invention is shown -for illustrativepurposes. K a

1 In the drawings:

.5 Figure 1 is a general sideelevational'view of the embodiment showingthe same in the act of discharging cut blanks of soap onto a conveyorleading to a cake forming machine or to storage.

Figure 2 isa'. top plan view of Figure 1. l

i Figuref3 is a right handend elevational view of Figure 1. r v s t tFigure! is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through Figure 1approximately on the i line 4-4 .ahdlooking toward thegleft in the(Figure 6 is a slightly enlarged top plan view of the dualcuttermechanism.

l 1 Figure! is a transversevertical sectional view rtaken through Figure6 approximatelyon the line 1-'|;andlooking toward the left in thedirection 535 v of thelarrows. 3 r a Referring in detail to thedrawings, the numeral' 5generally'designatesa base equipped at itscorners with casters 6 to supportthebase on sprocket 9 on an adjustablefriction clutch unit I0 by a sprocket chain I. The friction clutch "unit10 is of a conventional adjustable typeand has a sprocket connected bymeans ofa gs sprocket chain |3";with the sprocket |4 of a conventionaltype of friction clutch l5 such as a Pullinore clutch drivingahorizontalshaft I6 which is journaled in depending brackets l and I8 attached tothe table H! which is supported qu ends provided at opposite sides withverti al y adma ljustable pins 24 which have pointed lower ends receivedin sockets25 on thetop of the base 5, wherebythe table If! may beaccurately leveled on the base 5 despite inequalities in the supportingsurface 1. The horizontal shaft I6 is, as shown in Figure 1, preferablylocated between the middleof the table l9 andthe righthand end thereofand the said shaft has adjacent the opposite ends thereof respectivemiter gears 26 Other important objects and advantages of myinventiontwill be apparent from a reading of I and 21 which are in meshwith respective worm gears 28 and 29 whichare mounted on respectivevertical shafts 30 and 3| which areisupported in bearings 32 and33located belowthe tablell9.

Belowthe bearings 32 and 33 the said shafts 15 have sprocket wheels 34and 35 secured thereto. The shafts 30 and 3| project through the table 5I9 immediately above which theyare provided ,with' straight toothedpinions 36 and 31, re-- spectively, which are in mesh with ring gears38' and 39 on the lower ends of the friction rollers 40 and 4| whichhave rubber or other friction -material peripheries 42 mounted on annuli43 supported from a hub 44 through which passes avertical axle 45 inaboss 46 on the table l9 as shown in detail in Figure 5; Therfrictionrollers 40 and 4| are arranged transversely of the table l9 and havetheir frictionperipheries suff ciently closely spaced to engage theopposite sidesof the soap bar with slightly more friction 0 than" thatexerted by the clutch l5, the soap bar being extruded from the plodderat-a speed slightly less than that of the machineso that the Wheels 40and 4| exert a pull on the soap such that thefriction clutch I5 willslip before there isnany substantial slippage between the wheels and thesoap.- The soap rides-on rollers 41 which arehorizontallymounted in achannel 48.mounted on the table I9 between the friction rollers andterminating adjacent the right hand end a surface thebase carrying an"electric motorwa- 8 whose shaft 'is operatively connected to a of thetable l9.

extruded from the plodder. These rollers are revolubly supported on thetable as shown, and

the ,shafts thereof are equipped with wide angle miter gears 52 whichare in mesh with respective wide angle worms 53, 54, which are supportedon opposite sides of the soap bar in respectivebear-' ings and 5B, theelements 53 and 54 being mounted on a shaft 51 located on a level belowthejtops of the soap bar supporting rollers 41 as indicated in Figure 1.The upper end of the S a 5 app in F g r 2 of the drawi g has mountedthereon a governor which consists in a member 58 fixed to the shaft 51and a member 59 slidable on the shaft 51, the members 58 and 59 beingconnected by ball equipped linkages 60 in a conventional arrangement tooperate slidable element 59 which is connected by a link 6| to a pivotedarm 62 which is supported as indicated by the numeral 63 on a bracket 64attached to the table [9 with its free end provided with a cam surface65 operatively related to the free end of a plunger 66 which is theoperative element of a variable rheostat 61 which is convenientlymounted on the table l9 adjacent the governor mechanism andiselectrically connected in a suitable manner to the electric motor 8 sothat the current supplied to the motor 8 is appropriately affected bythe introduction of resistance by the rheostat so that the rate ofoperation of the machine is automatically slowed down to the requiredmeans. Pairs of small guide rollers 68', 69, HI arev distributed alongthe path of travel of the soap bar 46 and are mounted on the table I9 asshown in Figure 2. Two of these pairs of guide rollers are located closeto the soap cutting mechanisms H and I2, respectively, which. aretransversely aligned and are located on opposite sides of the path ofthe soap bar adjacent the right hand end of the table 19, this locationof the pairs of rollers 69 and steadying the soap bar for the operationof the cutting mechanisms.

Since each of the cutting mechanisms is in the same mechanical form andarrangement, the description of one will suffice for the description ofthe other. I

Eachrof the cuttingv mechanisms comprises a laterally outlying support13 which is fixed to the top of the table I 9 and carries two revolublewheels 14 and in laterally spaced relation,

which wheels have on their respective tops pins 16 .and 11 which arerotatably connected to longitudinally spaced points on the cuttercarrier bar 18, the laterally inward end of the bar 18 having atransverse tubular head 19 in which works a slide block 80; Under thehead 19 is a block 8i havinga non-circular cam channel 82 in its top inwhich works the cylindrical and enlarged lower end of the stub shaft 84on whose upper end is connected the laterally inwardly projecting cutterknife holder 85 in which isclamped the cutter knife proper B6. The stubshaft 84 projects through an opening in the with the slide 80cooperating, in such a way that the alignment of the blades 86 of theopposed cutting mechanisms ismaintained constant while thesa'id bladesoperate toward and away from each other in the operation of the machine.for penetrating the opposite sides of the soap bar and cutting the sameinto blanks 81 which are ,fed off the end of the rollers 41 onto anincline 88;suppor ted by a bracket 89 attached to the table l9, 'downwhich the blanks 81 slide to be delivered onto a conveyor 90 whichtakesthe V blanks to the cake forming machine or to storage as; the'case maybe. I

The lower ends of the wheels 14 and 15 of the two cutting mechanismsabove the table I!) havesecured thereto below the shafts which carry thetable I9, respective sprocket wheels over which are trained therespective sprocket chains 81 and 88 which are respectively trained overthe sprocket wheels34 and 35 which are on the friction roller drivingpinion shafts 30 and 3| already described.

By properly proportioning the various gears and sprocket wheels, perfectsynchronization of the action of the knives 86 is achieved with respectto the travel of the soap bar 46 and the action of the governormechanism on the rheostat 61 automatically operates the electric motor 8at the required speed for efiicient operation of the machine as a whole.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be definitelyunderstood that I do not desire tolimit the application of the invention thereto except as may be requiredby the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. Apparatus for cutting a bar of soap into blanks of equal length, saidapparatus comprising a support including guide means 'to support the.bar forlongitudinal movement along said support, friction rollers onsaid support for engaging opposite sides of said bar, actuating meansoperating some of said rollers for imparting longitudinal movementto thebar, opposed cutting units located beyond said friction rollers and onopposite sides of said guide means, said cutting units comprisingrespective blades which are constantly opp'osed in alignment, operatingmechanisms imparting reciprocating motion to the blades, and drive meansoperatively connected to synchronously operate said actuating means andsaid operating mechanisms, said drive means comprising an'electricmotor, a variable rheostat connected'betwecn the motor and a source ofelectric current, governor mechanism operatively connected to saidrheostat, said governor mechanism including friction operated rollersengaged with and driven by said bar of soap in its longitudinalmovement.

2. Apparatus for cutting a bar of soap into blanks of equal length, saidapparatus comprising a supportincluding' guide means to support the barfor longitudinal movement along said support, friction rollers on saidsupport for engaging opposite sides 'of said bar, actuating meansoperating some of said rollers for imparting longitudinal movement tothe bar, opposed cutting units located beyond said friction rollers andon opposite sides of'said guide means, said cutting units comprisingrespective blades which are constantly opposedin alignment, operatingmechanisms imparting reciprocating motion to the blades, and drive meansoperatively connected to synchronously drive said actuating means andsaid operating mechanisms, each of said cutting units comprising avertical rotary crank member operatively connected to said drive means,a carrier connected to the crank member and supported for reciprocationby said crank member toward and away from the side of the bar of soap orthe like, a head fixed on the laterally inward end of. the carrier, aslide on said head working parallel with said bar, a cam on said slide,an element having an irregular cam channel in which said cam works, saidcam channel being shaped to translate the regular circular motion ofsaid head into regular tangential motion, a knife support pivoted on arvertical axis on said slide and engageable with spaced portionsinvention, what is of said head on amid-site sides of said knife supportwhereby said knife support is maintained normal to the bar of soapduring movement toward andaway from the side of the bar, and a knife onsaid knifefsupport 'and projectingftoward the side of thebar, l

3; In a bar soap cutting machine, a substantially horizontal guideadapted to receive the soap bar from a plodderfat least one relativelylarge diameter feeding wheel" supported at a side of 3 said guide, saidfeeding wheel turning on a vertical axis and having its edgeengaged withthe side of said soap bar,*cutting means comprising a knife supportedfor horizontal reciproeating movement transversely with respect to saidguide for cutting the soap bar, saidcutting means further comprising atleast one vertical axis rotor=having an eccentric operating connectionwith said knife; proportioned means operatively connecting at least oneof said feeding wheels and the ver ical axis rotor whereby the rate offeed of the soap bar is coordinated with the cutting action of theknife, and driving means operatively connected to said proportionedmeans.

4. In a bar soap cutting machine, a substantially horizontal guideadapted to receive the soap bar from a plodder, at least one relativelylarge diameter feeding wheel supported at a side of said guide, saidfeeding wheel turning on a vertical axis and having its edge engagedwith the side of said soap bar, cutting means comprising a knifesupported for horizontal reciprocating movement transversely withrespect to said guide for cutting the soap bar, said cutting meansfurther comprising at least one vertical axis rotor having an eccentricoperating connection with said knife, proportioned meansoperativelyconnecting at least one of said feeding wheels and thevertical axis rotor whereby the rate of feed of the soap bar iscoordinatedwith the cutting action of the knife, and driving meansoperatively connected to said proportioned means, said driving meanshaving speed control means, governor means effectively connected to saidcontrol means, said governor means comprising at least one vertical axisroller frictionally engaging the side of said soap bar at a pointbetween said plodder and said feeding wheel whereby the operation ofsaid driving means, said feeding wheel and said cutting means arecontrolled in accordance withthe rate of movement of the soap bar fromthe plodder onto a said guide.

5. In a bar soap cutting machine, a substantially horizontal guideadapted to receive the soap bar from a plodder, at least one relativelylarge diameter feeding wheel supported at a side of said guide, saidfeeding wheel turning on a vertical axis and having its edge engagedwith the side of sid soap bar, cutting means comprising a knifesupportedfor horizontal reciprocating movement transversely with respect to saidguide for cutting the soap bar, said cutting means further comprising atleast one vertical axis rotor having an eccentric operating connectionwith said knife, proportioned means operatively connecting at least oneof said feeding wheels and s the vertical axis rotor whereby the rate offeed of the soap bar is coordinated with the cutting action of theknife, and driving means operaltively connected to said proportionedmeans. said driving means having speed control means, governor -meanseffectively connected to said control means, said governor meanscomprising atleast one vertical axis roller frictionally engaging theside of saidsoap bar at a point between said plodder and said feedingwheel whereby the operation of said driving means, said feeding wheeland said cutting means are controlled in accordance with the rate ofmovement of the soap bar from the plodder onto said guide, said drivingmeans comprising an electric motor, and said governor means comprising avariable rheostat in circuit with said electric motor.

6; In a bar soap cutting machine, a substantially horizontal guideadapted to receive the soap bar from a plodder, a relatively largediameter feeding wheel supported at each side of said guide, saidfeeding wheels turning on vertical axes and having their edges engagingopposite sides of the soap bar on said guide, cutting means comprising aknife supported at each side of said guide beyond said feeding wheelsfor horizontal reciprocating movement transversely with respect to saidguide, said knives being arranged for similar movement in oppositedirections and ,being further arranged to approach each other throughopposite sides of the soap bar in longitudinal alignment toward asubstantially meeting relation to cut the soap bar, said cutting meansfurther comprising at least one vertical axis rotor for each knifehaving eccentric operating connection with the corresponding knife,separate proportioned means connecting the feeding wheels and verticalaxis rotors on the same sides of said guide, slip connection meansoperatively connected between said feeding wheels, whereby the cuttingaction of each knife is coordinated with the operation of thecorresponding feeding wheel, and driving means operatively connected tosaid slip connection means.

7. In apparatus of the character described, a reciprocating knifecomprising a relatively stationary support,'a pair of vertical axisrotors mounted on said support, means for rotating said rotors,eccentric pins rising from said rotors, a carrier bar overlying saidrotors and having said eccentric pins journalled in longitudinallyspaced points thereof, a transverse slide housing at one end of saidcarrier bar, a slide confined in said slide housing for movementsubstantially at right angles to said carrier bar, acam depending fromsaid slide, a mutilated circular cam track on said support with whichsaid cam is operatively engaged, and a blade carried by said slide andprojecting in longitudinal extension of said carrier bar, whereby thecircular path of motion of said carrier bar is translated into atangential path of motion of said blade, with respect to said verticalaxis rotors.

8. Apparatus for cutting a bar of soap into equal lengths, saidapparatus comprising feeding means for continuously feeding andsupporting the soap bar, cutting means comprising a pair of knivespositioned on opposite sides of the soap bar, said knives beingconstantly positioned in the same vertical plane substantially at rightangles to the soap bar, actuating means for oscillating said knivestoward and away from each other to sever the soap bar into lengths,drive means and coordinating means operatively connecting said drivemeans with said feeding means and with said cutting means, whereby saidcutting means is operated at a rate commensurate with the speed at whichthe soap bar is fed relative to said cutting means, said coordinatingmeans comprising a first driving connection directly connecting saidfeeding means with said actuating means, a second driving connectionconnecting. a portion of. said feeding means and said drive means, saidsecond driving connection comprising'some relative rotatable elementswith friction clutch means operatively connecting said relativelyrotatable elements.

9. Apparatus for cutting a bar of soap into equal lengths, saidapparatus comprising feeding means for continuously feeding andsupporting the soap bar, cutting means comprising a pair of knivespositioned on opposite sides of the soap bar, said knives beingconstantly positioned in the same vertical plane substantially at rightangles to the soap bar, actuating means for oscillating said knivestoward and away from each other to sever the soap bar into lengths,drive means and coordinating means operatively connecting said drivemeans with said feeding means and with said cutting means, whereby saidcutting means is operated at a rate commensurate with thespeed at whichthe soap bar is fed relative to said cutting means, and speed control-means connected to a-portion of saiddrive means, said speed controlmeans comprising governor means operatively engaged with the soap bar.

10. An apparatus for cutting a bar of plastic materia1 into equallengths, said apparatus comprising feeding means for continuouslyfeeding and supporting the bar, a pair of knives positioned on oppositesides of the bar and constantly positioned in the same vertical planesubstantially at right angles to the bar, and means for moving theknives toward and away from each other to sever the bar into lengths andto cause the knives to move with the bar and at the same speed while theknives are in engagement with the bar.

JAMES D. CHANEY.

